1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to technology and designs of ultrasound transducer arrays for widest possible apertures with dimension constraints on the total probe. The invention also has application for ultrasound arrays with simultaneous operation in at least two frequency bands for imaging of ultrasound contrast agents and elastography imaging of tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art
The focal diameter of the beam from an ultrasound array is inversely proportional to the diameter of the array aperture. In many situations, the outer dimensions of the probe are limited by constraints from the clinical application, such as imaging from the vagina, the rectum, or other endoluminal and surgical imaging. These constraints put a limit on the aperture diameter of the ultrasound array, hence putting a lower limit on the beam focal diameter and hence the spatial resolution for an ultrasound imaging system.
The invention presents solutions of array designs that maximize the array aperture in relation to constraints on the outer dimension of the probe.
There is also a need to transmit ultrasound pulses with frequency components in so widely separate frequency bands, that it is difficult with current technology to transmit the different frequency bands from the same part of the array surface. The invention provides a solution to this problem.